My Tears, Your Trophy

"Save the gift in the box for later—keep a little mystery," Xie Tingwan said with a smile.

"Oh, and this is a little something for Little Jia. I didn’t know you’d be coming, so I just picked it up. It matches your outfit perfectly."

She handed two gift boxes to them—a black one for Zhou Yi and a green one for Little Jia.

"Thank you, Tingwan. I feel bad for not bringing you anything in return," Zhou Yi replied.

"You’ve already helped me so much. If anything, I should be the one thanking you."

They exchanged a knowing glance, while Little Jia, sensing the tension, quickly thanked Xie Tingwan and tugged Zhou Yi away.

"Let’s go, let’s go! If we don’t hurry, we’ll lose our spot."

"Little Jia, this place requires reservations. We won’t lose our spot."

"Whatever, let’s just go. I’m starving."

Xie Tingwan lowered her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips, before following them inside.

The restaurant catered to the well-off—ordinary people couldn’t afford a meal here. The ambiance was serene, with only five tables served per day.

They were seated in a private room with an outer door that opened to a picturesque scene of a small bridge over flowing water, all designed in classical Chinese style.

Zhou Yi casually remarked, "The atmosphere here is nice."

Little Jia immediately chimed in, "My home is even prettier. You should come see it—I promise you won’t be disappointed."

Zhou Yi took a sip of tea and nodded. "Sure, maybe next time."

"'Next time' could be never. Why not tonight? You could even stay over. I’ll arrange for someone to perform an opera for you."

Xie Tingwan seized the moment to interject, "Wouldn’t an opera at night disturb the neighbors?"

"My estate is huge. Even if we sang all night, not a sound would reach the outside. It’s not like those cramped mansions where the slightest noise causes a ruckus."

Little Jia lifted her chin slightly as she sipped her tea, her confidence in this matter far surpassing Xie Tingwan’s.

"I just realized I never asked your name. Since you’re Zhou Yi’s friend, I should at least know who you are."

"Xie Tingwan."

"Xie...?"

Little Jia mentally ran through the prominent families she knew with that surname.

Then, the image of a greasy face flashed in her mind.

She frowned. "Is Xie Heng your brother?"

"Yes."

"So you’re the Tianhua heiress. Though, you’re not as high-profile as your brothers."

Xie Tingwan’s smile faded slightly.

Zhou Yi poured her a fresh cup of tea and said gently, "Those two Xie brothers are nothing but troublemakers, always making headlines. Tingwan focuses on her studies—of course she’s more low-key."

His open defense of her made Xie Tingwan’s eyes curve with quiet delight.

[Xie Tingwan’s affection +5]

"So, Miss Xie, you must be from a prestigious university then?"

"I attend A University."

"Well, that’s impressive, I’ll admit."

Little Jia couldn’t argue with that.

"Given your family background, you’ll probably end up in an arranged marriage, won’t you? I could introduce you to some decent candidates."

"No need. I’m not considering that right now."

"You might not have a choice. I heard your father’s already scouting prospects for you."

Xie Tingwan’s hand paused mid-sip, her brow furrowing.

She was only a junior in college—shouldn’t she be focusing on internships? And now her father wanted to marry her off?

She stayed silent. Little Jia might just be trying to provoke her.

"Don’t think I’m lying. I wouldn’t bother fabricating something like this. As a woman, I’m telling you—you should take control of your own future."

Little Jia might dislike Xie Tingwan, but she wasn’t cruel enough to deceive her about this. She’d seen too many heiresses trapped in miserable arranged marriages, their lives worse than ordinary people’s. Xie Tingwan was only twenty—far too young for such a fate.

"I see. Thank you."

"I’m only saying this for Zhou Yi’s sake. No need to thank me."

Zhou Yi tapped her head lightly. "Would it kill you to be a little nicer? Just accept her gratitude."

Little Jia shrugged. "Fine. Just watch out next month—there are several banquets coming up. Who knows, your father might’ve already sealed your fate by then."

A shadow of worry crossed Xie Tingwan’s face. The weight of "parental authority" could crush her. She might not even get a say—just a cold announcement.

Zhou Yi reassured her, "You can refuse. If your father forces you, we’ll figure something out together."

Little Jia picked at her food, grinning. "I told you, I could introduce you to better options than whatever your dad digs up."

Xie Tingwan smiled faintly. "No, thank you. I’ll handle it myself."

She wasn’t some naive pushover.

Throughout the meal, Little Jia kept needling Xie Tingwan, while Zhou Yi found himself tugged between them—a frustrating yet oddly endearing predicament.

"Can’t I come with you guys to the competition?"

"No."

"No."

Zhou Yi and Xie Tingwan answered in unison. Little Jia pouted.

"I won’t get in the way! I just want to travel abroad for fun."

"Stay home. I’ll only be gone a few days. The competition’s crowded and hectic—we won’t have time to meet up."

"Not even once?"

"Not even once. The supervisors will keep us on a tight schedule."

Zhou Yi lied without batting an eye, and Little Jia, trusting him completely, reluctantly dropped the matter.

After dinner, Xie Tingwan prepared to leave.

"Yi," she ventured, "are you heading to the hospital later?"

Her real question was whether he’d go to Little Jia’s place.

Zhou Yi nodded. "Yeah, I’m keeping watch with my godfather tonight."

He’d already told her about Qu Hongzhuo taking him in as a godson.

Xie Tingwan’s admiration for him grew.

She was pragmatic. Zhou Yi was exceptional, someone she already liked—and now with his newfound connections, why wouldn’t she want him as her fiancé?

If her father insisted on marrying her off, she’d choose Zhou Yi.

"Good. Then I’ll head home. See you at A University the day after tomorrow. I’ll be waiting."

Her gaze lingered on him, tender and shy.

Zhou Yi smiled softly. "See you then, Tingwan."

"Yi... can I hug you? I wasn’t myself tonight. Thinking about my father just..."

Her voice wavered. Without hesitation, Zhou Yi opened his arms. She stepped into his embrace, holding him tightly, drawing comfort from his presence.

Then, over his shoulder, she spotted Little Jia in the distance.

The girl was kicking a tree, muttering to herself.

"Ugh, why’s their goodbye so private? It’s like a confession. So annoying."

When she finally looked up, her eyes widened at the sight of Xie Tingwan in Zhou Yi’s arms.

Her lips parted slightly.

From afar, Xie Tingwan met her gaze—and smirked.

Little Jia didn’t understand why she felt this way, but an inexplicable anger surged through her.

She wanted to step forward, but the memory of Zhou Yi’s cold expression made her freeze in place.

Forget it, she’d endure it. She couldn’t risk making Zhou Yi angry again.

Muttering to herself, she tried to soothe her frustration, "Hmph, so what if she hugged him? Zhou Yi even carried me on his back before! There’s nothing to brag about."

Little Jia crouched on the ground, idly drawing circles in the dirt, but her eyes grew red.

By the time Zhou Yi approached, tears were already rolling down her cheeks.

"What’s wrong? Why are you crying?"